Roll Call: Public’s perception of police has changed for the good since the George Floyd murder

The public’s perception of police and policing has changed since the George Floyd murder in Minneapolis.

Is it better? Is it worse? In this column, I will offer my views on the state of policing in America and focus more closely on the perception of police in the community in which you live. After all, policing is a local issue, despite what you might hear to the contrary.

Public perceptions of the police are formed through an intricate interplay of individual experiences, cultural influences, media narratives and societal discourse.

In my opinion, the view of law enforcement starts in early childhood, influenced by family, education, peer groups and social media. Yes, social media has a considerable influence on how today’s under-30 generation views policing.

My answer to the question of whether police have “rebounded” from the tumultuous times after the Floyd murder is twofold. I believe, and national polls support the opinion, that the public’s view of policing has started to recover.

A recent poll by the Pew Research Center showed that police themselves had a 62% positive image of the profession. That is a rebound from the low 40s just after the Floyd murder.

I also will say that many national media organizations throughout the country have not rebounded and continue to bash police to further their personal or political agendas.

The media has an immense effect on the public’s perception of police, acting as a filter through which information is disseminated and interpreted. Digital media platforms play a crucial role in shaping viewers’ and listeners’ perceptions and opinions of the police profession.

I have been in law enforcement for 37 years and during that time the police always played a significant role in the editorial rooms of news organizations. Over the past five years, incidents have turned into issues when it comes to media coverage.

Incidents are events that get media coverage for short periods of time. Issues go on for much longer, receiving widespread negative media coverage for months and even years. This biased reporting adversely impacts the perception of American policing.

At one time, police officers were respected by media. If an individual police officer screwed up, it would be viewed as an isolated incident and not an indictment of the entire police profession. That is no longer the case.

However, regardless of the harsh coverage of policing, most Americans, especially the residents who live in the areas covered by this newspaper, believe that the overwhelming number of encounters with police are fair and respectful. Law enforcement is among the highest-rated professions, scoring higher than the media or Congress.

Law enforcement is a profession in which one mistake can damage a whole department’s reputation, if not ruin it. Every day when I was chief in Riverside, I used to tell my officers during one encounter or another to make sure we had a positive outcome today, no matter what the situation.

We are being watched and judged and we should be. We are public servants and we need to serve. Does law enforcement have some “bad apples” in the profession? Of course we do. I have said countless times that we are a profession that is not immune to having a few individuals on the job who do not belong there in the first place.

Despite intense background investigations, oral interviews, academy training, field training and probationary periods, we still end up with some bad officers, although they are very few.

The problem is that if a police officer makes a mistake, engages in some terrible off-duty conduct or does something that defies logic, not only is the officer disciplined or fired, but in most cases, the entire department’s reputation suffers immensely.

I believe for many of the residents of the communities we serve, positive public perception of the police has increased, but the media’s perception of law enforcement has not.

Understanding public perception is critical for policymakers and police leaders who wish to influence public opinion about the police. Public perceptions do not remain static. They can change with new information, shifting social values and changes to the political and economic environment. Above all, it is imperative that we deliver on our oath and promise to serve.

• Tom Weitzel is the former Riverside police chief.

For the most part, The public’s perception of police and policing has improved since the George Floyd murder in Minneapolis.